Spinning tubes



United States Parent O 3,24s,070 SPINNING TUBES Philippe Julien, 69 Rue Terre Neuve, Gand, Belgium Filed Dec. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 420,669 Claims priority, application Luxembourg, Jau. 3, 1964,

7 Claims. 2 42-1133 The present invention concerns spinning tubes for a continuous spinm'ng frame and for self-acting mules. The tubes most frequently used in spinning are of conical shape in order to allow their exact centen'ng on the spindles, the centen'ng of a conical tube on a conical spindle being ensured whatever the manufacturing -tolerances of the tubes and spindles may be. This shape also facilitates the mounting of the tubes on the spindles and their removal therefrom, Since the tube generally has a uniform thickness, it is also externally of conical shape. Thus the distance between the traveller and the surface of the tube is not the same when the ring which carries the traveller is close to the apex of the tube and when it is close to the base. character from one 'end of the tube to the other go handin-hand with differences of a dynamic character of the winding, correspondin'g to diiferences in the tension of the thread. No uniform winding is thus obtained on a conical tube. manufacture cylindrical tubes which allow the thread to be wound and unwound under conditions which remain the same over the entire length of the tube. By reducing the difierences in tension, continuous spinning is enabled to proceed more uniformly between the start and the end of the operation which permits an improvement of the spinning speed and in the quality of the thread. When unwindng, the highest uniformity in the tension of the thread, associated with the fact that the cylindrical character of the tube prevents the detachment of the successive thread layers, practically enables slippages to be avoided.

The advantages of the two solutions could be combined by using a tube with a cylindrical external surface, the internal surface of which would have the conventional conicity. Such a tube would have the disadvantage of having an upper portion which is heavier than its lower portion. In other words, in a homogeneous tube of 'a given external diameter and comprising a truncated hollow interior of given conicity, the centre of gravity is necessarily situated above a plane intersecting the axis of the tube at half its height, and no other parameter' is available for modifying this to meet other requirements such as stability.

The invention enables this disadvantage to be reduced by providing a spinning tube consisting of a cylindrical body comprising a coaxial truncated conical hollow interior the large base of which is at the base of the tube and which is provided with longitudinal grooves of Variable cross section from one end of the tube to the other.

In one embodiment, the grooves are formed in the external surface of the tube and their cross sections from the base to the apex of the tube increase more rapidly than the diminution in the cross section of the hollow interior.

In another embodiment, the grooves are cut inside the tube and in a third form grooves are present both outside and inside the tube. In these last two embodiments, itis important to mount inside the tube, preferably at a small distance from its upper extremity, a hearing ring for the spindle.

-Furthermore, nowadays the tendency is to- Diiferences of a verifiable geometrcal V The invention will now 'be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show three embodp ments by way of example only, and in which:

3 ,248,070 Patented Apr. 26, 1966 "ice FIGURE 3 is a view of the tube in cross section along j the line III-III of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a view in cross section of the tube, of another embodiment; I

FIGURE 5 is a view in cross section of the tube, similar to the View of FIGURE 3, but of a third embodiment.

In FIGURE 1, the tube comprises a body 1, of lastic material, having a central, coaxial, truncated hollow conical interior 2, the large base of which is at the bottom of the tube in order to allow the tube to be placed and automatically centered on a conventional conical spindle (not shown). Grooves such as 3, 3', 3" separated by ribs 4, 4' are cut in the material of the body, starting from the outer surface of the tube which is substantially cylindrical. These grooves have a triangular cross section which changes uniformly from one end of the tube' to the other, the removal of material being so much more important 'as the upper end of the tube is approached. The diameter of the hollow interior decreases from the bottom .towards the top of the tube (this would correspond to increase in weight of the tube in its upper portion if the grooves did not exist). It. is' apparent that, by a suitable choice of the width and depth of the grooves, it is possible in a tube, the hollow interior of which has a given conicity, to obtan a specific distribution of the masses from one end of the tube to the other. In the tube shown, the amount of variations of the cross sectional surface of the grooves from the base of the tube to its apex-which is opposite in sign to that of the amount of Variation of the cross sectional' size of the hollow interior--has an absolute value exceeding the latter. This means to say that the tube becomes progressively lighter the nearer one comes to its apex. The centre of gravity of the tube is thus brought back to its lower portion, which is desirable from the point of View of stability.

A tube is thus obtained which can readily be placed and centered on any conical spindle and the external surface of which is substantially cylindrical, with all the advantages associated with this shape, already described above. The tube remains perfectlybalanced because its centre of gravity is located below the central transverse plane of the tube. The presence of the grooves gives great rigidity to the tube. A perfect straightness of the tube is thus ensured.

In fact, the bottom of the grooves is provided with round-ofls or fillets. Round-offs are also provided at the junctions of the groove walls with the external surface of the tube so as not to damage the thread which is wound thereon. The grooves leave ribs between each other, the narrowest portion of which, Situated at the 'apex of the tube, will still have a width of a magnitude of 2 mm. so as not to damage the thread.

For manufacturing reasons, the grooves do not start right from the bottom of the tube. Obviously, this in no way affects the principle of the invention. Nor is any change of theprinciple of the invention created by providing locally inside the tube recesses or projections, if required. The tube shown contains an internal cylindrical hearing 5 for mountng it on the spindle; the weight of this bearing is compensated by the widening 6 of the base of the tube in a manner such that the position of the centre of? gravity is not atfected by local weight Variations.

If desired and without departing from the scope of the invention, also a slight conicty can be imparted to the exterior of the tube.

With a grooved tube such as described above, the shape of a turn of the thread wound around the tube at its upper end s polygonal and its unwound length is slightly shorter (in practice about 15% with tubes having eight grooves, which have been manufactured, this number taking into account the 'centrifugal force which comes into play during winding) than the unwound length of a turn wound at the base of the tube. This difference is insignificant and, furthermore, only aifects the turns of thread closest to the tube.

The externally grooved tubes, according to the em-- bodinent described, have still a further advantage. It

is known that the spinning tubes made from plastic material generate, when rotating at high speed, static electricity upon contact with the thread which rubs their surface. In the tube according to the invention, the contact surface between the tube and the thread is reduced, and the effects of static electricity thus reduced. It is also possible to reduce the weight of the upper portion of an externally cylindrical tube which is pro: vided with a 'hollow trurcated conical interior, by providing the grooves inside the tube. Such an embodiment is shown in FIGURE 4 in which 'referenece numerals identical with those of FIGURES 1 to 3 have been used to indicate similar parts. The external surface of the tube is thus Strictly cylndrical. Finally, FIGURE 5 shows in a section a tube of the same kind, in which the grooves are provided on the inside (grooves 3, 3' as well as on the outside (30., 3'a In the case in which internal grooves are provided, it is important to provide a mounting ring to receive the spindle (ring 5).

Regardless of whether the groovesare external, internal or both internal and external, their dimensions and their number can vary from one series of tubes to another, ac-

cording to the diameters and according to the conicity known. In these Construction, however, the grooved shape only aims to impart a greater rigidity to the spindle. The thickness of material is substantially uniform in a manner such that the grooves do not have the same efiect as in the present invention.

What I claim is: 1. A spinning tube consisting of a cyliidrical body including an axial hollow truncated conical interior, the u large base of which is at the bottom of the tube, said tube being provided with longitudinal grooves, the cross section of which increases from the base to the apex of the i grooves 'have a polygonal cross section, round-oifs being provided at the junctions of the walls of said grooves with the parts of the surface of said tube which extend beteewn them.

6. A spinning tube according to claim 1, in which said i grooves are external, and' said tube is made of plastic t material.

7. A spinning tube according to claim 1, in which a solid projecting ring, suitable as a hearing for the spindle, is provided on the interior of the tube.

No'references cited.

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Pr'mary Examier.

G. F. MAUTZ, Assistant Exam'ner. 

1. A SPINNING CONSISTING OF A CYLINDRICAL BODY INCLUDING AN AXIAL HOLLOW TRUNCATED CONICAL INTERIOR, THE LARGE BASE OF WHICH IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TUBE, SAID TUBE BEING PROVIDED WITH LONGITUDINAL GROOVES, THE CROSS SEC- 